Lock



April 14, ,94'2. H. MACHINIST LOCK Filed Fb. 2, 1958 Patented Apr. 14,1942 Loon Harold Machinist, Long Island City, N. Y., as-

signor to Dudley Lock Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Application February 2, 1938, Serial No. 188,327

(Cl. 'Y0-3,94)

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of locks of the type known ascylinder locks, and is con-- cerned with a novel method and means forservicing such locks, by which term is meant the opening of a lockwithout using the key particularly cut for that lock, required ininstances when the key has been lost and there is no other way ofopening the lock. While the method of servicing and the means therefordescribed nerein may be used to open different types of cylinder locks,the following description is made with special reference to the lockdescribed in United States Patent to George D. Full, No. 2,030,836, andknown generally as the Dudley lock.

The object of this invention is to provide a facile and quick method ofservicing cylinder locks, such as the aforementioned Dudley lock,

and to provide means for practicing such method.

For the attainment of these objects, and such Figure 2. The tumblerelements when free are yieldingly projected by coil springs' 32, Figure2, into longitudinally extending grooves Id,

formed in the inner wall of the casing for lock-` ing engagementtherewith. Y y .v

The casing I is closed .by a cap plate 2@ which is secured to thecylinder or plug H so as to rotate therewith Within the casing. The capis formed with an opening 20h, Figure 3, corresponding to and registeredywith the key slot Hb formed in the rotary cylinder, Figure 2, for.accommodating a key of a suitable size. The edge of each tumbler elementadjacent the key slot Hb is provided with an abutment surface 39Cadapted to be engaged bya cooperatively formedA cam surface of the key35,'Figure 4.

These key abutment surfaces or shoulders are y disposed lfor engagementby a key for causing other objects as may hereinafter appear or bepointed out; I have shown one embodiment of the said means in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal fragmentarysectional view of the lock in section, with the servicing tools of myinvention in place therein;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View of the lock taken on lines 2 2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the lock cylinder;

Figure 4 shows a regular key, in fullview, for operating the lock;

Figure 5 is a sectional View of the key, taken on lines 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a pair of servicing tools; and

Figure '7 illustrates a second pair of servicing tools, each bearing adifferent number or indicia and presenting different cam configurations,both gures being front views;

Figure 8 is a top view of a pair of servicing tools;

Figure 9 is a, sectional view, taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 6, of thefour complementing quarter tools;

Figure 10 is a top View of a single servicing tool formed in halvesrather than in quarters.

The Dudley lock, more fully described in the said patent, includes acylindrical casing l0 ofv annular form in which is mounted a rotarycylinder or plug Il adapted for' rotation therein under control of aplurality of tumbler elements 30 when actuated by key 35, Figure 4. Thecylinder or plug Il is made up of two longitudinally extending sections,indicated at I4 and l5, spaced apart by longitudinally extending platesIB and provided with slots, respectively Hic and |5c, Figure 1, in whichthe said tumblers 3l) slidably fit. As shown in Figure 1, there are fourpairs of tumblers, each pair comprising a tumbler associated with eachof the sections i4 and I5,

movement of the tumbler elements in a direction against the reaction oftheir respective springs 32..` As is well understood in the art, thesetumbler elements are preferably formed different from each other in thattheir key-operated abutment shoulders 30o may be located at one of aplurality of predetermined positions from the:

end of the effective locking surface of the tumbler elements. The camsurface of the key for engaging the abutment surfaces of thetumblerelements have their contours shaped accordingly.

It will be manifest from the construction above described that theparticular arrangement l of the tumbler elements is such that certain ofthe tumbler elements of each series are movable in opposite directionsfrom the others,

The construction in effect providesfour sets'of independently operabletumbler elements, and to accommodate such construction, the keyis pro,-

vided withfour longitudinally extending unrethe key. As may be seenl inthe drawing, the

operating portion of the key is of relativelyflat stock, and forconvenience the narrowtop andy bottom surfaces of the operating portionof the.. i key are referred to as edges. Although the-disclosurerepresents a preferred form of key', -it is evident that the relativeproportions of these narrow surfaces to the may vary widely,

The side walls of the keyl slot Hb, formedin ,Y thecylinder, areprovidedA with Vadditional Wards consisting of embossments ld-'and5cZ,"which are in the form of interrupted ribs which are and are 'enlgageable by different cam surfaces of 'a key.

Likewise, the other series of tumbler elements are 1 engageable bydifferent cam surfaces of the key.`

side surfaces `of thekey l engageable in cooperating longitudinallyextending ward grooves 35g and 35h, formed vin the op,- posite sidewalls of the key. These embossments on the respective cylinder sectionsI4 and I5 are preferably of different size or shape, as seen in thedrawing, and serve to assist in guiding the key when it is inserted intothe lock, and ensures inserting the key in the lock in only one possibleposition. The cap plate .20, Figure 3, is formed with projections Zllfand e, corresponding in outline, respectively, to wards |511 and |4d ofthe cylinder sections, Figure 2.

My method of servicing cylinder locksof the type described (i.'e.,having groups of tumbler elements, such as thev group of four tumblersin the upper left, Figure 2 (designated I), the group of four intheupper right (designated II), the group in the lower right (designatedIII), and

group (IV)) consists in taking up one group at aV time and inmanipulatingV the service tool to determine the combination andcharacteristics Vof that group of tumblers. My method contemplates asystematic investigation of the tumbler elements-one group at atime-bythe use of a series of servicing tools used in a predetermined d order.After determining the opening combination of one group of elements, thesame procedure is followed to determine the combination of the othergroup. After which, the determined tool selected for each group are usedtogether to open the lock.

A clearer understanding of this method will be I gotten following adescription of the servicing tools referred to. But before describingthese tools, the structure of the regular keys will first be explainedwith reference to its section. The key section is shown in Figure 5 tocomprise an upper and a lower recess 351 within which fit the ends ofcenter plates Iii-I6, see Figure 3, and 4a left ward groove 35h withinwhich t the ward |5d of the cylinder, Figure 2, and the ward 28j of thecap plate 20, Figure 3, and a right ward.

groove 35g, Figure 5, within which lit the ward Idd of the cylinder,Figure 2, and the ward e of the plate cap, Figure 3. The cam surfaces a,351i, 35e, 35d are variously positioned and dimensioned, as shown, inaccordance'with a particular individual combination. It is thus seenthat the cam surfaces 35a operate upon the tumbler elements of group I,Figure 3; cam surfaces 355 operate upon group I I; cams 35d, on III; andcams 35e, on IV.

In practicing my improved method of lock servicing as briefly outlinedabove, I provide a series or set of servicing tools, such as are shownin Figures 6 and 7. Each individual tool, to which the generaldesignation |35 has been given, may

be considered as a half or quarter part of the regular key, such as key35 of Figures 4 and 5. The individual tools may be considered as havingbeen formed from the key 35 `as. theresult of two cuts, viz., alongitudinal cut centrally of the key, as `viewed in Figure 4, to forman upper tool |35b, and a lower tool |35d, as viewed in Figures 6 and 7and a cross cut longitudinally of the key, as viewed in Figure 5, toform a left tool |3511 and a right tool |3512, as viewed in Figure 8. Asa result of both cuts referred to, there are formed four quarter tools|35a, |3519, |350, and |3511, Figure 9, each eifective to operate uponthe tumbler elements in, respectively, groups VI, II, III, and IV,Figure 3. l

It will be4 understood, however, that half-sectionedservicing tools', asmay appear in Figures 6 and 7, may be employed above.

As best seen by comparing Figures 6 and 7 with Figure 4, the quartertools, where these are used, are not formed by merely cutting the key inhalf along its longitudinal center, vas viewed in Figure 4, butinvolves, in addition, the removal of at least that portion of theregular key body which forms the Ward grooves 35g and 35h, Figures 4 and5. Since the left wards |5d and 2|!) are made of a ldiiferent size thanthe right wards Md and 20c, more metal is removed between the leftpairof quarter tools |3511 and |350, Figure 9, (distance |35L, Figure 9)than is removed between the right pair of quarter tools |3519 and |35d(distance |35R, Figure 9).

A complete set of tools comprises a plurality of quarters, such as|3511, Figure 9, and insertable lin the lock to `operate upon thetumbler elements in group I, Figure 3, and a plurality of quarters foreach of the other groups II, III and IV. That is, a complete set oftools may comprise four groups of quarters (though two may sumce forsome purposes), the individual members of each group being formed topresent dilerent cam surfaces (I3Ea, |365, |36c, |3611, Figures 6 and 7)combinations, and each unit being consecutively numbered |31.

In servicing a lock in accordance with my improved method and using theservicing tools herein described, any one of the two or four v groups oftumbler elements I to IV may be taken up first. We will assume thatgroup I vis first investigated. The individual segments, either the halfor quarter tools of group I, are inserted into the lock, one at a time,and manipulated backward and forward and by a wiggling movement untilthe proper key segment or quarter, i. e., the one which will operate thetumbler elements of that group, is determined and which is ascertainedby the limitation of movement of a pair of tumbler elements; is eitherlaid aside or its number or indicia |3'| noted. The next group, e. g.,II, is then investigated and the proper key tool of group II selected.This is con- Y tinued until the two segments or four quarter key partsare determined; by operating two or all four together, the lock maybeopened.

Referring toFigure 9, it will be observed that a quarter tool |3511 willt in that portion of the key slot 2517, see Figure 3, which isassociated with group I tumbler elements, with thebottom edge |33 of thetool riding on the top edge 38 of ward 2fand with lip |39 (dependingfrom the lower portion of the tool) clearing to the right of ward 20j.This results from the fact that the metal (|35L) corresponding to Wardgroove of the key (35g, Figures 4 and 5) has been removed from betweenthe pair of tools |3511 and |350. In like manner and for the samereason, the other tool parts may be received in the key slotcorresponding to the respective tumbler element group or quarter.

In trying one tool after another, in its proper tumbler group, the toolis manipulated forwardly and backwardly and wiggled in the key slotuntil the locksmith determines, principally by feel,

down a slight extent, so that the key will have a slight play wheninserted in the proper quarter of key opening Zilb. To facilitate toolmanipulation, it is provided with depressions itl, Figures 1, 6, 7 andl0.

Specifically, as already inferred, instead of forming the tools asquarter parts of a key, the tools may be formed as half parts, as shownby the key tool 235, Figure 10. In this case, the tools may be formed bycutting a regular key in half (Figure 9) to form an integral upper half(H3511 and |3519) and an integral lower half (635C and |3501); the metalbetween the two halves may be removed in precise conformity with theleft and right ward grooves H3511 and lSR), so that the two key halveswill have the outline shown in Figure 9. Or, the metal may be removed toan amount equal to the width of the larger of the two ward grooves; inthis case, the half tool will rest upon the top ledge of the larger(25j, Figure 3) of the two wards 20j and 2te.

In this manner it will be observed that I have described and illustrateda servicing tool having tumbler operating cams independent of the guidesor wards provided for the regular keys, so that by the method ofapplying wiggling, sliding and free manipulative pressure, `the tumblers(elements til) may be slid to the proper position for rotating thecylinder, the key combinations characteristics observed, and the lockopened without the regular key predeterminedly designed for the lock. Itwill be further observed that I have provided a servicing tool by theprovision of tumbler camming elements having effective tumbler camminginnuence of large magnitude, by mounting camming elements so as to havewiggle clearance larger than the maximum camming displacement of thetumblers. The term wiggle wiggling or wiggled as herein used and as usedin the claims is intended to i denote a rocking or canting movement withor without a partial rotary action.

It will also be observed that I have provided a servicing tool which hasvariable sliding clearance within and into the seat of the lock withinlimits larger than the key regularly designed to open the lock.

It will also be observed that I have devised a new and novel method ofservicing locks and for making the servicing tools.

While I have described and illustrated my invention in its preferredform by using all of the coordinated parts as achieving the desiredresults, it will be understood that portions thereof may be employed asto other novel features and therefore the scope of my invention is to bedetermined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a lock servicing tool includingtumbler camming eleand having wiggle clearance when used in a lock withand in respect of the remaining segments. 2. As a new article ofmanufacture, a lock servicing tool including tumbler camming elementshaving effective tumbler camming iniiuence of a magnitude to makeavailable the camming influence of said elements along intermediatepoints on said elements formed as half segment of a full key havingward. engaging portions and having wiggle clearance when used in a lockwith and in respect of the remaining half thereof on one edge and wardengaging portions along the length thereof on the opposite edge andhaving sliding and wiggle clearance in the cylinder slot between theward of said lock and the tumblers thereof.

4. For use in a cylinder. lock having a plurality of tumbler elementsarranged in groups, the hereinl described servicing means comprisingindividual tools arranged in a number of groups equal to the saidtumbler elementy groups, the individual tools having cam projectionsoperable upon the said tumbler elements, the said tumbler elements ofeach group presenting different combinations, and the individual toolsof each group being of smaller dimensions than a key for said lock andpresenting an assortment of cam projections operable upon differenttumbler combinations, said camming projections having effective tumblercamming influence of a large magnitude to make available the camminginfluence of said elements along intermediate points on said elementswhereupon by wiggling the same within the cylinder lock slot and thedimensions ofthe individual tools in respect of each other and thecylinder slot permitting wiggling of each of said tools in respect ofeach other.

5. The combination according to claim `4l, wherein the lock comprisesfour groups of tumbler elements, and the said servicing means comprisesfour groups of individual tools.

6. The combination according to claimY 4, wherein each group comprisesfour tumbler elements and wherein the said individual tools are providedwith four cam positions.

'7. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the said lock isprovided with a key slot, and a ward projecting on two sidesl thereof,and wherein the said individual tools are formed with a portion adaptedto rest upon the ledge of the said wards but movable in respect theretoby a wiggling action.

8. The servicing tool for combination with a cylinder lock having aplurality of tumbler elements, and a key slot for receiving a key havingwards in respect to which the tumblers have ra predetermined movementfor permitting cylinder movement, vsaid servicing tool comprising asegment tting within said key slot and carrying tumbler camming elementson one part having effective tumbler camming influence of a largemagnitude to make available the camming influence of said elements alongintermediate points on said elements and other portions thereof saidsegments being smaller than said slot and being formed to permitwiggling of said means within said slot in respect of the wards of saidlock and in respect of each other.

HAROLD MACHINIST.

